The present invention is directed to a rupturable cover for a vehicle air bag system.
The prior art is replete with many air bag deployment devices. Examples of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,539,200; 3,622,176; 3,632,135; 3,640,546; 3,643,971; 3,708,179; 3,756,617; 3,768,824; 3,778,085; 3,794,349; 3,819,205; 3,904,222; 3,944,250; 3,966,227; 4,097,064; 4,120,516; 4,148,503; and German DE 3,315,535 and DE 3,544,704.
Many of the devices are relatively complex structures. They are expensive to manufacture and do not always function reliably under various operational and climatic conditions. Some of the systems which rely on separation of a cover to permit the air bag to deploy, fail to separate along predesigned paths.
There is a need for a rupturable cover for a vehicle air bag compartment which is of light-weight and of relatively simple construction, cost effective to manufacture, operates effectively over a wide range of temperatures without fracturing, and in which the doors open along a designed path to assure proper deployment of the air bag.